Travellers along the Sea to Sky Highway will now have another reason to stop in Squamish after the recent soft opening of a new ocean-side park.
The District of Squamish and developer Matthews West have unveiled the Sp’akw’us Feather Park, located at the tip of the Oceanfront Peninsula.
The 11-acre municipal-owned park was realized in partnership with Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and is described as the “culmination of a vision 20 years in the making.”
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“While we still have some work to finalize on the park, we didn’t want to wait any longer to share this space with our community,” said John Matthews, president of Matthews West, in a release. “Squamish has been an oceanfront town without access to the water for too long.”
The tip of Oceanfront Peninsula is a popular destination for kite surfing and windsurfing. On the soft opening day, adventurous surfers braved the wind and chill to show off their skills to passersby on the beach.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Sp’akw’us Feather Park has plenty to see and enjoy on land, too, including art pieces by local artists like James Harry and Maskull Lassere, a playground designed in collaboration with Indigenous youth that retells Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh Úxwumixw stories of the land and slackline posts.
There is also a large lawn area designed for a sound stage and cultural gardens with an area for outdoor classes.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
“This gem of an outdoor space is the first physical fruit of our partnership with Matthews West, and we know it will be enjoyed by the Squamish community for years to come,” said Sxwixwtn, Wilson Williams, Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh Úxwumixw Spokesperson and Council Member, in a statement. “Sp’akw’us Feather Park truly exemplifies the calibre of the ongoing legacy projects Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh Úxwumixw and our partners will continue to contribute to our People and the wider community.
“I’m particularly proud of the work of our Squamish mén̓men (children) in designing the playground based on an important Squamish oral history – this important piece of cultural recognition will remind everyone who visits that they are on Squamish land.”
áynexwi7 playground/Submitted
Work on the park will continue into the summer, including the installation of Welcome Gate, the final art piece by Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh Úxwumixw artist James Harry.
The grand opening of Sp’akw’us Feather Park is slated for Saturday, August 17, which coincides with the annual Sp’akw’us Feather Shakedown in partnership with Squamish Arts’ annual Squamish Arts Festival.
The site of Sp’akw’us Feather Park has been elevated to address sea level rise concerns, with 11 acres of land reclaimed and extensive environmental remediation conducted. The park also includes a seismic berm to further stabilize the peninsula.
Daniel Chai/Daily Hive
Sp’akw’us Feather Park is part of the 60-acre Oceanfront Squamish mixed-use master plan development under Oceanfront Squamish Developments, which is a partnership between Matthews West and Sḵwxw̱ ú7mesh Úxwumixw. The development will include future retail, office, and residential spaces. This
“This is an incredible milestone that is both a finish line and beginning of a complete community with housing, walkways, greenspaces and industries that will leave a legacy for our community today, and for many generations to come,” said the District of Squamish Mayor Armand Hurford.